So it should come as no surprise that the state won't participate in PARCC's field testing of its assessments come springtime.

Still, education commissioner Pam Stewart made the decision official just before Thanksgiving, alerting superintendents that the state won't have any exams aligned to the new standards in place this year.

"Florida is engaged in a fair and open process through our Invitation to Negotiate (ITN), leaving all options available as we move forward with the statewide assessment decision," Stewart wrote in her memo. "Florida’s choice of a statewide assessment will meet the state requirements regarding accessibility to assessments, instructional alignment and school district readiness to administer the assessments. Since there will not be an opportunity to field test all options prior to making a decision, it is best that we not field test one assessment within the state and not the others."

Stewart has said the state will have new exams selected by the spring, in order to have them used in 2014-15. The time frame has left superintendents skeptical, and they have called for a three-year transition period to make sure all goes smoothly. Your thoughts?

About the blog

Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.